Grayson Helm was not supposed to be lined up behind center, at least not in the heat of a pitched battle, not as a 135-pound freshman. No, that was never the plan at Wyomissing.

But there he was three years ago, playing quarterback for the Spartans. Before he knew it, he was running for his life.

Bob Wolfrum did not give the youngster so much as a moment to catch his breath or gain his equilibrium: The Wyomissing coach's first play call for Helm was a quarterback sweep.

"And he got waffled," said Wolfrum.

As some held their breath following the collision, Helm got up. He was turned head over heels on that 2-yard run, swallowed up in a sea of Muhlenberg jerseys, but he got up, showing the toughness that earned him a spot on the varsity roster in the first place.

"I was really nervous," said Helm, now a senior, of his baptism under fire, "maybe even a little scared, too."

He didn't show it. He held his own, starting the final 10 games of the season and helping the Spartans win an Inter-County League Section 2 championship and reach the District 3-AA semifinals.

"We thought Grayson had enough athletic ability and had the right mentality that we could survive with him," Wolfrum said of his decision to go with him the rest of the way.

Helm was far from the focal point of that Spartans team but he will be on this one because of his running, his passing and the calm he brings to the huddle.

He'll be in the middle of a potentially explosive offense, one that gives Wyomissing a chance to topple preseason favorite Blue Mountain for the Section 2 crown.

In fact, if things go well, he could become the first Wyomissing quarterback to both run and pass for 1,000 yards in a season.

Wolfrum likes Helm so much as a runner that the Spartans could incorporate more Single Wing sets into their Wing-T offense in order to highlight his skill set.

"We don't have any better running backs than him," Wolfrum said. "He runs the ball as well as anyone."

Helm is far from the fastest guy in a Spartans backfield loaded with breakaway threats, such as halfbacks Alex Anzalone and Justin Causa, and fullbacks Brandon Gonzalez and A.J. Nally.

Still, he has a knack for running with the ball, for finding small openings and bursting through them.

"I feel I'm faster in games, with adrenaline going," he said. "I'm a decent runner. From lacrosse, I'm used to dodging guys."

The Spartans are known for their run-based offenses, but not for their running quarterbacks. Matt Lytle, Mike Mancias and Jeff O'Hara made their names throwing the ball.

Helm could end up passing each of their career yardage totals, but he knows he needs to get better throwing the ball. One of his chief goals is to become a more accurate passer. He threw for 1,143 yards and 14 TDs last year but completed just 45.5 percent of his throws. His 31 career interceptions are too many, he knows.

"My freshman, sophomore years I was just chucking it up, hoping receivers could make a play," he said. "Now I'm trying to be more conservative and limiting interceptions, tucking it away to run when need be. I'm trying to cut down on turnovers this year."

Helm is a two-time All-Berks pick in lacrosse, the sport he'll likely play in college. He believes his experience with the stick has carried over to the pocket.

"It helps my vision, and throwing on the run," he said. "In lacrosse, the most effective way to shoot is on the run. We're basically a rollout team and throwing on the run helps a lot."

Helm would like to be the first Spartans passer to run for 1,000 yards, but he is smart enough to realize his team can win even if he doesn't reach that figure.

"We have so many guys who can make plays," he said. "If I'm not the guy, I'm totally fine with that. I just need to make the right plays at the right time and let everything come to me."